Contractor Held For Open Burning
Contractor Held For Open Burning
25May 2005
publishedby www.brudirect.com
Bandar Seri Begawan – A housing development contractor was questioned bypolice for allegedly carrying out burning activities to clear a site at theKampong Lumut housing area.
The fire got out of hand causing thick smoke to billow across the Lumutbypass, reducing visibility and endangering motorists.
Commanding Officer B, Senior Superintendent Lim Hock Guan, headed a team often Fire Department personnel to bring the fire under control. The fire hadspread and destroyed an estimated 20 hectares of forest.
An emergency call was placed by members of the public to the Seria FireStation at approximately 4.50pm on Monday. Police from the Sg Liang policestation and Seria Fire Station personnel i rived shortly at the scene.
Fire personnel had to utilise heavy machinery to put out the peat fire andgyring the smoke under control. The fire was brought under control onlyyesterday morning due to the large area that was burning.
Over ten foreign contractors from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Philippines wereallegedly clearing the site by burning the forest and failed to douse the firecausing it to spread rapidly and pollute the air. The land was allegedly beingcleared for a National Housing Scheme project.
Meanwhile, heavy smoke could also be seen approximately two kilometres fromSungai Tujoh to Sungai Lima, Kg Sungai Teraban at the Brunei-Sarawak border lastSaturday. The smoke was the result of a widespread fire to clear the forest inKampong Baram.
Fire-fighters from both the Belait Fire Station and Seria Fire Station workedround the clock to douse the fire, which was only put out at about 5pm on Monday.
Around 20 fire services personnel were involved in the operation and morethan 10 hectares of Brunei forest were destroyed in the blaze.
